Chapter 4126: From Pawn to King (Part 1)

"I don’t know why Lady Tyris did that, only that the Royals of the Griffon Kingdom have learned the hard way never to dismiss the words of the First Queen." Sylpha said. "From that day, we have searched for any mentions of the Black Throne in the Royal Library.

"Sadly, there wasn’t much to find. The Black Throne appears only in some of the most ancient records that our archeologists have salvaged. In those texts, the Black Throne is described as an evil mage tower.

"Allegedly, it was created with Forbidden Magic by a mad mage who wished for immortality. Moreover, the Black Throne is capable of improving its enchantments and even growing by feeding on the innocents.

"Its story changes according to the source, but the gist of it is always the same. The mage tries to conquer Mogar until a hero stops him. I know it sounds far-fetched, and if not for Lady Tyris’ warning, I wouldn’t even mention it."

"This is indeed far-fetched, but you are right about something, Sylpha." Fyrwal said. "Never ignore a Guardian’s warning. I’ll start researching the archives of my people for more information about the Black Throne."

"And so will I." Lotho said. "Even if the Black Throne is not the monster the legends say, we can’t afford to underestimate a mage tower born out of Forbidden Magic."

"I will look into it too, but enough blabbering." Inxialot said, anxious to go back to his lab. "What matters is that short-stack there is right. We need to keep things under wraps, or it will be chaos!

"War might erupt, and I would have to leave my lab in the middle of a crucial step of my research!"

’I’m not short, dammit!’ Solus puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"We need to prepare strategies that take this mysterious second tower into account. No matter if John’s coup succeeds, we’ll have to deal with the Bulk Chrome sooner or later.

"Also, if Shortus’ theory is correct, we already have a perfect contingency plan. The moment the Derp King puts us on the back foot, we can expose Jalpis’ betrayal to split their ranks.

"We’ll fan the flames of Nelba’s distrust and trigger an internal conflict among the Upyrs. While they are busy tearing each other apart, we’ll sweep in and massacre both sides. The end."

"A solid plan." Fyrwal and the rest of the representatives nodded. "I need a detailed picture of the tower and the other two cursed objects you’ve encountered, Lith. It will make it easier to identify them."

"Send a copy to all of us. Even if this is not the Black Throne, we might be able to discover something about Jorl’s tower abilities." Raagu nodded.

"If there’s nothing else, we’d like to discuss the reward of our subjects." Meron said. "They’ve put their lives on the line for us all, and have brought back vital intel that might save countless lives. Maybe even our own.

"Such loyalty and dedication can’t go unrewarded. If the Council isn’t willing to pay its share, then this is a private matter."

The idea of gifting magical resources that they wouldn’t be able to use for their own research was enough for the Council Representatives to rush to end the call. Yet Lith’s raised hand stopped them.

"There is one more thing. As I told you, against an unknown enemy and a tower at that, I had to use Vital Storm to ensure our survival. Jorl noticed its effects and limits, and so did the rest of his team."

"We have no idea what you are talking about, so you’ll need to be more specific." Raagu frowned, leaning forward on her chair.

"Vital Storm can be easily produced, but its effectiveness is less than one-third of Life Maelstrom." With the enemy already in possession of that knowledge, Lith regarded keeping his allies in the dark a foolish move.

"Also, it has no offensive value. It always boosts the mana core and the body of those who receive it." He could see a mix of excitement and disappointment on the faces of the Council Representatives.

Disappointment because they had hoped that the Indech would represent a reliable source of Life Maelstrom that would break the Griffon’s monopoly.

"How easily can it be produced, exactly?" Inxialot asked.

"As much as I want." Lith shrugged. "I didn’t lie at Lady Ernas’ wedding. I just glossed over Vital Storm’s flaws."

"So, it’s easier to master compared to Life Maelstrom, puts a lesser burden on the body of the user, and has no recharge time." The violent violet light burning in Lotho’s eyes made it hard to understand whether he was happy or angry.

"Correct." Lith nodded.

"In other words, one can practice as much as he wants with Vital Storm for research and prototypes and save whatever Life Maelstrom he has to craft the final product." Inxialot said, taking the words out of everyone’s mind.

"Intriguing. It seems that looking into human evolution might be worth my time." As he spoke, his rotting flesh regenerated at a speed noticeable to the naked eye.

Soon, the Lich King looked like a handsome yet emaciated man dressed in rags whose eyes shone with the red light of undeath.

"Gods, what is this pain?" He doubled over, his stomach emitting eldritch sounds.

"Judging from your appearance, you are hungry, severely dehydrated, and constipated." Quylla said. "When was the last time you had a meal? When did you use a bathroom?"

"Yesterday." Inxialot said, and no one believed him.

According to him, King Valeron had been crowned one day ago. Also, Arthan had been executed a day ago along with his daughter Thrud, and Nero the "cat" was also one day old.

"What’s the last thing you remember?" Fyrwal sighed.

"I ate yesterday. I’m sure of it because I was with Zolgrish at that fake city for Velkist’s apprentice exam." Inxialot replied while pointing at Lith.

"That was almost two years ago!" Quylla was flabbergasted.

"Really?" Inxialot’s farted with such vigor that his desk trembled and with it his hologram.

"Yes!" Lith snarled. "Bottom line, Jorl knows. This gives Narchat two reasons to rejoice and removes one of our hidden weapons. If he makes no announcement on how my Vital Storm is a ’pale imitation of his great powers, ’ we can be sure Jorl is staging a coup."

"Then why are you saying it like it’s bad news?" King Meron asked.

"Because it is." Lith replied. "I fought with Jorl, and I almost lost."

Those words made the Royals gasp and the Council representative tense.

"He is nothing like Narchat. Jorl is cunning, a skilled fighter and Light Master, and has no qualms about asking for help when he needs it. I haven’t noticed a single character flaw we can exploit.

"Moreover, with Life Maelstrom and his bloodline abilities, he’s superior to me with Vital Storm. I never fought a Griffon before, and I must admit that it’s a humbling experience." Lith sighed.

"If someone like him becomes the master of a mage tower, he’ll be a much greater threat than the Dead King. Especially with an army of Upyrs at his back."

A tense silence fell over the room, only broken by the splashing of water.

"I’m leaking lemonade." Inxialot said. "Why am I leaking lemonade?"

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